The sound of my bike roaring in the quiet street, awakened the dogs as I entered my mother's driveway. The sound of the gate automatically closing was the only thing I heard as soon I switched off my bike.
Moving to the back door, I entered and the smell of my mother's cooking immediately made me hungry. Oh, how I had missed this. When I was at my apartment I constantly ordered take out or barely ate because I was too exhausted to cook. Even when I had time to prepare something, I felt discouraged because I was the only person eating it.
So, when we were given a break, I happily enjoyed it with my mother and made sure to spend as much time as I could because I rarely even saw her. I usually only got a month to spend time with my mom and then the rest of the year, I'm busy or performing.
"Look at you skinny you've gone!" she snapped, seeming shocked at my appearance.
"Hello to you too mother." I laughed
"Hello baby but still you've gotten too skinny, I should call Cecila and lay a complaint. You look so… I have no right word in English but when I figure it out I'll let you know." She said as she continued to mix something in the pot.
"Go take a shower, change into something comfortable, and come downstairs. It's been so long since I last saw you."
"Yes, ma'am."
Jogging up the stairs, I unlocked my room and a small smile came onto my face. She hadn't changed a thing since I left, always trying to keep the memories of the little girl she had.
The pink decorations were still everywhere with a bit of black to balance out the color. Fresh pyjamas were laid on the bed for me with a towel and slippers. Opening the cupboard, I found all the clothes I had sent before time, already hung and folded.
Before I came home I usually sent some of my stuff ahead of time because I couldn't travel with that on the bike.
I remember how angry she was that I had bought a bike instead of a car, saying how much it was a bad investment because in case of emergencies I wouldn't be able to do anything easily.
At times I would laugh at her and wonder how she forgot what kind of a child I was, even though I had an interest in the girly side of things, I had guy tendencies. I liked the adrenaline more than the calm and chill. I enjoyed adventure more than relaxing. I preferred discovery more than the usual things. I liked romance but I was more of an action girl.
There were times when I preferred to do girly things with my mom though, I liked to wear certain dresses and liked to do my nails with her. I enjoyed the little gossips she would bring to my attention but other times I just preferred to mind my business.
Stepping out of the shower, my body felt a bit relaxed as I changed into something comfortable. I had been traveling for four hours to get here and after the whole production, my mind and body felt extremely exhausted.
I heard a knock on the door and turned to find my mother at the door. She gave me a small smile as she entered. She pulled me into a bear hug and we stayed in that position for a while. I felt her hands caress my hair slowly, causing me to swoon for the missed comfort.
'Sit down, let me comb your hair and braid it up a bit. It's been a while since I blessed it with my hands." She murmured as soon as she pulled back. Before I could even give her a response, she dashed out of the room and quickly returned with a bag.
"Oh, I got a bit more organized lately, I have a makeup bag, hair bag, emergency bag, and so forth." She said when she noticed the confused look on my face. Taking a seat on the chair by my desk, she prepped the bag and pulled out certain parts of my hair.
I watched her apply certain ointments and braid certain parts. It felt like I was a toddler again, even as a teenager, she would do the same thing. She would always make time to nurture my hair and just let the quietness settle in.
"So how is the production?"
"Getting more busier than we expected, several shows are coming up and we will start traveling soon."
"Oh, that's good, you must be excited."
"I am but it's just exhausting. There's so much to do and learn with limited time. We all had to beg Cecilia to take a break because every day it's been work till late at night."
"That woman forgets she's working with human beings and not robots." She huffed.
"It's okay," I said as I waved it off.
"Hey, I'm just glad your home. It's been too long since we spent time together." She said.
I locked eyes with her in the mirror as she brushed my hair and braided it carefully. When she was done, she put it in a pony tail and gave me a kiss on the side of my head.
"Come, let me feed you." She whispered
Giving her a smile, I followed her pursuit, it felt good to be home even if it was just for a bit. I guess this was not the time to tell her that my visit wouldn't be as long as it usually is.